The Best Granola Ever - total time 30 minutes

You know the phrase "that's so granola"?  Describing something that is plain and boring...   Well those people have never had this granola!  I pretty much make it every week mainly for breakfast parfaits, but it also makes a great snack, especially when you need a few bites in between meals. 

You might buy granola in the store... it might taste good... but it is probably expensive, maybe three servings at best, and you don't know all of the ingredients, or maybe you don't like some of the ingredients.  Granola is soooo easy to make at home!  I had my doubts at first too.  But it really is just combining all the ingredients in a bowl and then spreading it on a cookie sheet, ten minutes in the oven and woop, there it is. ;)
I definitely save money too.  We would normally go through three bags of granola a week plus cereal and English muffins.   I get the main ingredients from bulk bins and the others are usually local and last through many, many batches of granola.  It also keeps me full longer in the mornings, so less snacking before lunch.  And you can make it into granola bars for a snack on the go.

So, chocolate and peanut butter... best combination ever, right?  You probably can't eat Reese cups every day, but this granola is actually healthy and has just enough sweet.  Whole grains and great protein from the seeds and nuts.  Plus it is naturally sweetened with a little honey and maple syrup... oh... and the dark chocolate chips of course... which are totally healthy, I promise!  :) 

Avocado Toasts - total time 5 minutes

I've seen a lot of avocado recipes out there lately!  You would think they were in season or something.  Hass avocados (which is what is in most grocery stores) can grow in California all year long, so I guess they are really always in season.  Other avocados are harvested in late summer and fall.  

But there is a reason everyone loves talking about avocados!  They are delicious... buttery and nutty... and they are nutritious... with healthy fats in omega 3s and potassium.  Nature's butter.  I use it in place of mayo in things like chicken and tuna salad.  It's also great on toast!  Which brings us to today's post...

I started making "avocado toast" way back in the day, in fact, it was one of the first recipes on this blog.  I usually don't roast my own tomatoes for this any more, especially if tomatoes aren't in season.  I love getting sun-dried tomatoes packed in jars with olive oil.  The flavor is amazing!  I always have a jar or two in the pantry to add to pastas and pizza... and toasts.  :)  Any way... now that we're using jarred tomatoes, it cuts out all of the prep time in this recipe and gets you to the eating portion that much faster!  That makes it perfect for breakfast, snacks, or on-the-go lunches.

This is my trusty toaster oven that we received as a wedding gift closing in on eight years ago.  It gets used almost every day and I was cleaning it the other day and some of the words and numbers started rubbing off the dials!  Good thing we have it all memorized!

Recipe for one avocado toast...
1 piece of bread (or english muffin)
.25 hass avocado
1 sun-dried tomato
a few shavings of parmesan cheese

1. Toast bread.
2. Scoop out avocado with a spoon and smear on the toast.
3. Cut up the sun-dried tomato and layer on top.
4. Sprinkle parmesan on top.
5. Devour.

 

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Granola Bar - total time 1 hour

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I've never been one to skip breakfast, I would never make it to lunch without gnawing my arm off.  So to keep my hunger at bay, I start most mornings with a quick parfait.  I loooove this granola I get from Green Bean delivery.  It is so yummy!  And I have tried a lot of different granolas, definitely all of the ones with chocolate in them.  But this one is definitely the best, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, and a little chocolate.  Perfect way to start the day... top it with some berries and yogurt... even better!

We go through this stuff like crazy, like, a couple bags every week.  It's kind of ridiculous.  But we don't always have time in the morning even for a simple parfait (I easily lose track of time before I have had my coffee... even after sometimes... so mornings can go from a leisurely stroll to a mad dash out the door pretty quickly).  So what's a girl going to eat when she's run so fast out the door that she forgot to brush her hair and her phone is still sitting on the kitchen counter?  Granola bars!  A quick grab and go solution.

You could probably just take premade granola and bake it into bars.  But where is the fun in that?  This way you control everything that goes into the bars and can feel good about what you're eating.  No added sugar and tons of protein and fiber... and so yummy... just like McCabe's granola.

It takes a bit of time from start to finish, but it's mostly hands off time.  I walked my dog while everything was cooling, came back, covered them in chocolate, and then went back out with Snoop to finish our walk.  Probably only spent 15 minutes in the kitchen.  Easy peasy!  

Kale Chips - total time 30 minutes

Okay, so I am late to jump on the kale chip bandwagon... like, really, really late.  But, in my defense, I have tried kale before and it was so gross, I spit it out.  Things like raw kale is why most people think vegetables are gross and the better something is for you, the worse it tastes (which is totally wrong, except in the case of kale).

Add a little bit of oil, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of parm... bring on some heat... and somehow this bitter leafy green becomes a delicious, salty, crunchy treat!  I have been meaning to try making kale chips for forever.  The longer it sits in your fridge, the more bitter it gets (I hear)... so I have delayed this experiment to avoid another bitter beer face (ha, remember those commercials?!).  But now my feelings toward kale have changed and I even adjusted my Green BEAN order to get more kale!  Consider me converted!

Berries and Cream Popsicles - total time 4.5 hours

"Summer summer summertime... time to sit back and unwind."  

It is hot out... and it is only going to get hotter!  But I love it!  I would so much rather be hot than cold.  I don't know if anyone else ever saw that game show that aired about ten years ago called The Chamber, but I always thought I could rock the hot "torture" trivia.  Even though I have lived in Ohio all of my life... I'm convinced I was born to live in a warmer climate.

Since it is hot out, our favorite dessert (chocolate chip cookies) are not really an option while we take a break from our oven and make dinner on the grill instead.  To keep our sweet tooth in check and cool off at the same time, I made these berries and cream popsicles using what I got in my produce deliveries (CSA and Green BEAN) and I plan on making blackberry and peach versions of this popsicle.  So the recipe is pretty versatile .. really any fruit will work... and any yogurt (lowfat, flavored, greek) will work too.  Have fun with it!

Cinnamon Applesauce - total time 6 hours

Another apple recipe that you do a little prep work and forget about it while it cooks.  Of course I put cinnamon and sugar in my applesauce... I can't get enough of that flavor.  Mmmm...

8-12 apples, chopped
.5 brown sugar
1 tbsp nutmeg
6 cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp butter
1 lemon, juiced

1.  Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Turn on low for six hours.  Fish out any remaining whole cinnamon sticks.  That's it!  Enjoy warm or chilled.

Apple Pie Chips - total time 7.5 hours

Eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away is not going to get through the bushel of apples I bought from the local orchard fast enough.  So even though I love eating apples plain... I needed to find another way to preserve and share them.  This recipe is super simple, but takes forever in the oven.  With apple pie spices, these could be a snack or dessert!

8-12 apples
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg

1.  Slice apples into thin slices (less than .25 inch).  You could use a mandolin, but be careful! 
2.  Preheat oven to lowest temperature, mine was 175 degrees.
3.  Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then coat each apple slice.  Lay apple slices on lined baking trays and bake for three hours, flip slices, and bake for four additional hours.

Roasted Chestnuts - total time 55 minutes

Roasted chestnuts... the quintessential holiday snack.  Eat them warm from the shell or pop a few open to enjoy in a salad, muffin, or cookie.  They are pretty easy to roast in your oven if it is too cold outside to roast them over a fire (and you have a closed gas fireplace like me).

1.  Cut a long slit into each chestnut using a serrated bread knife.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chestnuts in a pan, cover with water, bring to a simmer for eight minutes.
3.  Drain and bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds - total time 35 minutes

Happy Halloween!  All those pumpkins you used as decorations or for carving can be turned into a tasty and healthy snack.  Pumpkin seeds are full of protein, vitamin B & E, and fiber... and they are super easy to make!

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop out the insides of the pumpkin into a colander.  Wash all of the pumpkin off the seeds.  Boil seeds for ten minutes, then pat dry with towel.

2.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix in spices (chili powder and paprika), salt, and pepper.  Spread dried pumpkin seeds on baking tray and drizzle butter mixture over top.  Bake for 20 minutes.